The Wild Dragons
by SaoirseParisa
Summary: When a sorceress turns four of Yona's friends into sparrows, she, Yun, and Kija have to knit scarves out of stinging nettle and break the spell in order to save them. They cannot speak of it lest they subject their friends to an eternity of pain. Can they save their friends before its too late?
1. The Sorceress

**Author's Note: Greetings, people of the Akatsuki no Yona fandom! I'm Julia. It's nice to meet you all. I've written for Akayona before (and I will make some changes to it because a friend of mine pointed out some errors that desperately need rectifying), but this is my first long fan fic for the series. Well, in this case it's going to be short, like, six chapters, because I usually write much longer stories. Like, a hundred chapter long stories. Not only that, this fic is basically an Akayona version of an obscure Hans Christian Andersen fairytale I just learned about called The Wild Swans. That's what inspired this fic, because I thought the concept was interesting! I hope you all enjoy it! Any constructive critique is fine, but PLEASE be civil and polite about it. I won't tolerate whining or drama.**

 **Akatsuki no Yona belongs to Mizuho Kusanagi and other associated parties. The Wild Swans belongs to Hans Christian Andersen and other associated parties. I own neither property.**

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Chapter 1: The Sorceress

Deep, blazing crimson was everywhere. The everlasting ocean, the sea of trees, the earth down trodden by travelers' boots, red smeared across the sky and the world underneath farther than the eye could see. The orange sun had already begun to set, the sky growing ever darker as the glowing orb of light descended down the horizon. The crimson sky above, smeared with streaks of sapphire blue, lilac purple, golden yellow, and vermillion orange, was truly an amazing sight to behold if one were to stop and admire its beauty.

Out from the thickets came a tiny squirrel no bigger than one's palm. Its large, bushy tail curled inward as the squirrel scurried toward a lone acorn, taking it into its mouth and munching on it, its cheeks growing in size. If the squirrel ate any more, its cheeks would grow to the point where they'd resemble tiny, flabby spheres. Thankfully, the squirrel was satisfied with the acorn he found and put the leftovers back where he found them.

"Ao! There you are!" A young woman's sweet voice called out for the little squirrel, Ao. Faint footsteps grew louder as a girl of about sixteen darted out from the bush, her pinky white face donning a sweet smile. Her light purple eyes glistened in the sunset, like lilac petals bearing morning dew. Her short, scraggly, flaming red hair only stretched down to her chin, but her long earrings bounced with every step she took. Wearing only a long sleeved pink dress underneath a silk red robe, a black sash with a pink ribbon keeping it in place, and dark shoes, she approached the squirrel and scooped him into her palms. A bag full of arrows bounced behind her back, along with a plain, wooden bow that archers normally use.

"P'kyuuu!" The squirrel chirruped in a high pitched voice, happy to see the lovely lady.

"You had me worried for a moment there," The woman told him. "You shouldn't just wander off in places like this."

"P'kyuu?" Ao tilted his head to one side, as though he couldn't understand what she said. But she could tell the squirrel understood.

The lady released a small giggle. Of course Ao would play up his cuteness to get out of getting scolded. Oh well. He won this time. "We better get back. I don't want the others to worry."

"Hey, Yona!" The voice of a young boy caught her attention. The woman whipped her head around, watching as a boy of about fifteen or so, possibly younger, came darting out from a thicket. His pale brown hair set off his ocean blue eyes, and two peach colored feather ornaments dangled from one side of his hair. Wrapped around his upper body was a light blue shawl, covering most of a light green garment. The boy also wore white pants, dirty grey boots, and a brown satchel bag over his shoulder.

One look at the squirrel told him all he needed to know. "Oh, so Ao went off to play again. Well, it's getting dark, so we're gonna have to spend the night out in the wilderness."

"I'm not surprised," Yona told him. "We have been traveling a while. But where do you think we can sleep?"

The brown haired boy pulled out a map and unrolled it. He took a short moment to scan it. "It seems there's a town a few miles up ahead," The boy pointed to some drawings of houses on the map. "If we make haste, we might be able to make it before dark."

"Will we be able to make it before dark, Yun?" Yona asked.

"I don't see why we can't," Yun replied. Right then and there, a whole group of people came ambling down from a dirt road up ahead, all of them men.

One of them was a tall, boorish man with raven black hair and tan skin. In his hand was a long spear taller than he was, with the sharp end of it wrapped in cloth. His cerulean cardigan covered his navy blue robe, dark pants, and brown shoes. Wrapped underneath his free arm was a big pile of wood for the sole purpose of making a fire.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to carry all of that, Hak?" Yona asked, her sweet voice growing concern.

"It's nothing a former general can't handle, princess," Hak replied dryly, clutching the firewood underneath his arm. "You should be worrying about yourself first. This place is infested with mosquitos and they leave ugly, horrid blemishes on your skin and suck your blood dry."

"Stop trying to scare me, Hak!" Yona scolded. Her bodyguard was never one to miss out on an opportunity to tease his princess. Bickering with him was almost as common as finding fish in the nearest river.

It's here that another man stepped forward, leaping onto the scene. If one were to observe from far away, one would assume this man in white and blue to be a ghost, or at the very least a friendly spirit protecting the forest. Beautiful of face and gentle of soul, the man had snow white fair arranged in a neat, proper bob cut with a sliver of hair reaching down to his upper neck. His turquoise eyes fixated on the dark haired warrior, his mouth in a semicircle frown. A light blue cape flowed from his white and blue monk-like robe, setting off his brown shoes.

"You needn't be so crass toward Yona," The white haired beauty scolded before holding out his hands. Scratch that, hand and white dragon claw. "I will take the liberty of carrying the firewood, if you please," He added in a regal, more composed manner befitting of a rich boy.

"You're ever so kind, White Snake," Hak teased.

A vein in the white haired man's neck bulged. "I _told_ you never to call me White Snake!" He snapped indignantly, eyes flaring with rage, even as he took care not to crush the firewood in his silvery white dragon claw.

"Hak! Kija! It's not proper to fight in front of a lady!" A green haired man leaped onto the scene. Draped in a yellow and navy blue robe, grey pants and matching shoes, a fair-skinned man pushed himself in between Hak and the white haired man-Kija-preventing further arguments. In the blushing sunset, he almost seemed to sparkle.

Yun rolled his eyes. "What a pain…"

"We'd best be off!" The green haired man was already marching ahead of the gang.

Soon, two more men popped out from the thicket. One of them was a tall, handsome man with sea blue hair, his face obscured behind a white mask with red triangle-shaped markings and two long horns protruding from both sides. His skin was so white, one could easily mistake him for a ghost. He was draped in a black robe trimmed with white fur, covering a navy blue turtleneck, along with wearing black fingerless gloves, matching shoes, bandages wrapped around his forearms, and two ceremonial necklaces, one gold and the other made from turquoise and malachite beads. Hanging from the back of his head was a mountain of white fur. If one didn't know any better, they would mistake him for a spirit of the forest, or some animalistic creature.

Trotting behind him, all smiles, was a smaller man, who looked more like a teenager, probably about Yun's age. Messy, sunny blonde hair added to the radiance of his cheerful smile, and wide, turquoise blue eyes shined with such joy that one could never extinguish it. The boy was draped in a white robe with brown hemlines, itself covered with an orange overcoat the color of the sunset, and wrapped around his head and neck were light green scarves, the one on his head being tied into a large ribbon. Dangling from it was a blue and yellow charm.

"Jae-Ha? It's not like you to be so enthusiastic," Hak added, his voice peppered with a touch of indifference.

The air around Jae-Ha almost seemed to sparkle, like crystals reflecting sunlight. He spread his arms out toward the sky, his smile radiant. "Mysterious encounters are always around every corner when one goes on an adventure," Jae-Ha mused like he was a philosophical monk. Kija shot a quizzical glance in the green haired romantic's direction. "Like a leaf on the wind. There is beauty in every encounter."

Hak rolled his eyes. "Let me guess...you're looking to chase some girls as soon as we get there?" He teased, smirking like a thug.

"Am I that easy to read?" Jae-Ha asked dryly.

Yona and the yellow haired boy broke into merry laughter. "Zeno has seen plenty of girl chasers in his lifetime," The yellow haired boy, Zeno, chirruped. "But the green dragon is actually a gentleman!"

"I can imagine," Yona added. The masked man behind them nodded. Yona turned around to face him, flashing a warm smile. "Shin-Ah? You're not tired, are you?"

Shin-Ah shook his head left and right silently. It told Yona all she needed to know. "Let us know if you're tired, okay? There's no need to push yourself too hard."

"I hope the next town has lodging," Kija mused worriedly, his snow white eyebrows furrowing. Just being in this forest made his skin crawl. Already, he could see small bees hovering about and caterpillars munching on leaves.

"I'm sure there's an inn or a rest stop in the next town," Yun told him reassuringly. He wasn't sure himself, as he had never been to the town they're heading to before. But he knew from stories that Kija grew up on the lap of luxury and was used to warm beds, delicious food, and a roof over his head, away from dirty soil, messy trees, and insects, despite living in the wilderness with them since he joined their group. "We'll get there soon."

After that, no one said a word to each other. The faster they marched to get to town, the better it would be for all of them. Streaks of dark blue were already pushing the crimson and orange away, and the sun had already set. Night was closing in. But something else loomed over the steadfast group. Deep, black clouds rolled across the land, blocking off the beautiful night sky, darkening the land beneath. A single drop of water plopped onto Ao's head, melting into her fur.

"P'kyu!" Ao chirruped, using her tiny arms to brush the wetness out.

Shin-Ah stopped in his tracks. Everyone else stopped as well, turning around. "Shin-Ah?" Yona asked. "What's wrong?"

"Rain," That was all their masked friend would say, and in a low, husky voice that was barely audible.

Before long, a drop of water plopped onto Kija's head. The sudden cold drop made him shiver. "He's right! I just felt rain!" Kija yelped.

Hak looked up. The sky was marred by thick, black clouds. Drops of rain came descending down, melting onto the soil beneath their feet, or absorbed by the fabric of their clothes. "This isn't good," He said. Soon, the soft drizzle turned into a heavy downpour. Rain roared as it came crashing down on the earth below. Only the tears of a thousand weeping angels could cause such a downpour.

The group held their arms over their heads, their shoes attracting muddy soil. There had to be someplace where they could take shelter. Only a few minutes of rain, and they were already soaked to the bone. Their wet clothes clung to their skin.

"Urrrgh! What a pain!" Yun complained.

"I wonder if there's shelter around here?" Jae-Ha asked.

"Zeno likes the rain!" Zeno piped in happily, not looking the least bit bothered by the downpour. "Rain washes away all your pain!"

"Cave," Shin-Ah whispered.

Yona turned to face her masked friend. "What was that?"

The masked man pointed further north with one hand. "Up ahead. A cave."

It didn't take long for them to find an uninhabited cave just about thirty feet ahead. "Let's get in here!" Hak suggested, escorting everyone inside. The cave was wide, large enough to fit every single one of them inside, but it didn't seem to go very far inward. It wasn't anything fancy, but with little else to go on, they had to make do. The rain roared, drowning the world beneath it with no intention of ceasing any time soon. They were all shivering when they entered the cave. Shin-Ah had removed his white pelt, wrapping it around the shivering Kija. Already, his body felt warm not just from the pelt, but from Shin-Ah's kindness.

"Oh, Shin-Ah," Kija's suave voice quivered as he clasped his hands together, not just to warm them up, but in an admiring fashion. "Your genuine kindness moves me, dear brother."

"Don't break into tears, White Snake," Hak commented dryly, evading a potential blow that quickly followed from Kija's dragon claw.

"Ahhh…" Yona complained, flapping her hands up and down to get rid of any excess rainwater that latched onto her. "I don't believe this! Of all the times it had to rain!"

"Rain or shine, your beauty will never be tarnished, my fair princess," Jae-Ha concluded, brushing some wet green hair out of his face. "In fact, I think you look utmost-"

Stopped mid-sentence by a punch from Hak's fist, Jae-Ha fell on the ground with a soft thud. "Whoopsie daisy. My hand slipped. Sorry, Droopy Eyes," Hak interrupted dryly. "That's enough pervy romance talk out of you," Oddly enough, despite his cheek throbbing in pain, he flashed a thumb's up.

"...Good one!" Jae-Ha complimented, holding his thumb up.

Everyone except Shin-Ah tried to hold back laughter. Yona kept her hands on her mouth, but not even she could hide her amusement at the funny scene. Zeno lost all control and giggled like a little kid, almost falling on the cave floor, as though he had heard the funniest joke ever. All Shin-Ah did was watch everyone with a blank stare. Already, Yun pulled some firewood out.

"Alright. It looks like we're staying here until the rain stops, so I'll start dinner," He pressed a piece of wood against another. Tiny orange sparks came flashing outward before giving birth to a small flame. With the wood as its lunch, the flame increased in size, growing large enough to warm up the entire cave. "It might take a while, though."

Loud rumbling coming right from Zeno's stomach made everyone turn in his direction. The blonde boy let out a tired groan. "Zeno's hungry...Zeno doesn't know if he can wait long…" He complained.

Yona found herself lost in thought. They were all stuck in a cave with nothing to do. This might be the perfect opportunity. "Hey!" Yona caught their attention. "Since we're stuck here, how about we play a game?" She suggested. "You know, to pass the time."

"What kind of game?" Kija asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know," Yona put a finger on her chin, ruminating. Then an idea popped in her head like a baby chick hatching from its egg. "Ohh! How about Truth or Dare?"

Once again, Kija was flummoxed. "Truth or...Dare?"

Yona nodded vigorously. "Hak, Su-Won, and I used to play it all the time when we were kids!" She explained, her voice cheery.

"Ooooh!" Zeno threw his arms in the air. "Zeno loves this game! Zeno will play!"

Hak smirked. "I don't see why not. The monotony here is getting boring."

Shin-Ah nodded silently. Yun stirred some broth in the pot hanging over the fire. "Sure. I don't mind. Ik-Su and I used to play it, so why not? It'll pass the time."

"This sounds like fun," Jae-Ha mused.

"P'kyu!" Little Ao chirruped, rolling on the cave floor beneath her.

"Pardon me, but…" The white haired man interrupted. Everyone could see the confusion on his face plain as day. "exactly what is this...Truth or Dare game you speak of?"

"Have you ever played games with other kids before? When you were a kid?" Yun asked.

Kija shook his head.

Everyone except Zeno exchanged surprised glances. Kija never played any games with other kids before? Not even as a child? Or even simple games like ball, cards, tag, or hide-and-seek? Zeno let out a sigh. "Zeno's not surprised, considering you were treated like a God, after all," Zeno said in a disgruntled tone of voice.

"Basically," Yona held her index finger up to explain, like she was a teacher. "If someone asks you truth or dare, you have to pick one. If you pick truth, someone asks you a question, and you have to answer it honestly. No lying," Thankfully, the white haired dragon man listened attentively, nodding at her explanation. "If you pick dare, the person who asks you makes you do something, and you HAVE to do it no matter what."

"Ohhhh!" Kija's aquamarine eyes lit up like a candle flame, gleaming, happy that he received new knowledge. He tapped a fist on his dragon claw. "Now I understand!"

"Since you're the one that suggested it, Yona," Jae-Ha piped in. "Why don't you start?"

"Gladly!" Yona pumped her fists, flashing a sweet smile. She pointed right at Hak. "Hak! I choose you! Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Hak answered without hesitation. Shin-Ah watched as Yun blew on the broth that generated clouds of steam billowing inside the cave.

"Okay…" Yona closed her eyes, crossing her arms, ruminating on what to ask him. Then… "Who was your first crush?"

Hak shot a glare at the red haired girl. "My first crush was...a cumbersome brat."

"Who?" Yona asked. Everyone tilted their heads to one side in confusion. That wasn't a very specific answer.

"Details, please?" Yun asked.

"No," Hak replied dryly. "I'm done," He swerved toward the yellow dragon. "Hey, Zeno! Truth or dare?"

"Come on, Hak!" Yona yelled. "That wasn't a good enough answer!"

"Precisely!" Kija agreed, joining in on the conversation. "An improper answer is the same as a forfeit! It isn't fair!"

"Her name was Na-Yo," Hak answered tersely. Setting his spear down, he turned back to Zeno once everyone calmed down. "Hey, Zeno. Again, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Zeno raised his hand up in a whimsical manner. "Dares are fun!"

The smile on Hak's face extended further, reaching past his cheeks as he let out a low chuckle, like he was an evil overlord plotting something. Yona backed away a few paces, a little cowed by Hak's evil sounding laughter. "Uhhh...Hak?" No answer.

Finally, he spoke. His eyes slammed wide open before he blurted out, "I dare you to tickle the White Snake!"

"Will do!" Cheerful as usual, Zeno's expression didn't change a bit.

Jae-Ha chuckled. "This ought to be fun to watch."

"Wait…" Kija shivered. "What does tickle me-EEEEAN?!" Before Kija could finish his sentence, Zeno leaped on him like he was a happy puppy who hadn't seen his owner in years. Suddenly, Kija was lying on his back, his silver hair mingling with the soil, and Zeno was right on top of him. Kija's eyes widened, at first unable to comprehend the situation. Zeno flashed a cheery smile before his hands made contact with Kija's sides, his fingers dancing across his robe like they were in a recital.

At first, the White Dragon wasn't sure what to make of this. Zeno's fingertips made contact with his skin through his robes. He clamped his mouth shut to hold back laughter, but his face puffed up like a puffer fish, turning red from holding his breath. Unable to take it anymore, loud, merry laughter spilled forth, and he flapped his arms up and down, kicking his legs in a futile attempt to force the happy yellow dragon off. It was no use. Zeno's fingers danced across Kija's body, the soft, tender sensation seeping into the White Dragon's sides.

"Zeno! R-R-R-R-Release me this instant!" Kija cried through his laughter. Tears came creeping out from the corners of his eyes, spilling down on the soil. Zeno paid no heed, his smile wide as he continued to launch his tickle assault on his dragon comrade.

"No way!" Zeno cheered. Kija playfully pushed on his friend to pry him off, but the Yellow Dragon refused to let up. Even Zeno was laughing at how silly and helpless Kija looked under his clutches. Yona and Jae-Ha found themselves bending over, holding onto their stomachs, they were laughing so hard.

Kija rolled himself over, lying on his stomach. In playful retaliation, Zeno hopped on his back and launched yet another tickle assault. Kija had no idea this was what being tickled was like. He had seen children play amongst each other, and wanted to join in on their games, but everyone around him disapproved, saying such things were beneath him, even children his own age. He had to wonder why he had missed out on something as fun as this. Despite his protests...he was enjoying himself. Zeno's tender fingers playfully dancing on his robes-sometimes his skin-and successfully getting some cute giggles out of him felt surprisingly good.

Even though he told him to stop, he actually wanted it to continue on for as long as humanly possible. In short, he loved the feeling of having Zeno tickle him and his fingers dancing on his skin. He relished and found some solace in it all. He felt something warm, soft, gentle, and kind, like some warm and sublime light was pouring out of Zeno's fingers and dissipating into his body, filling him with kindness. Would his mother and father have done this, had they been allowed to live? Had his grandmother allowed him to even touch his father? There was no answer for that. Both parents had died, but he couldn't help but wonder...would they have showered him with love and affection and played games with him like his friends were doing now?

"Zeno's done!" Finally, Zeno pulled his hands back, ceasing his tickle assault. The White Dragon sat up to catch his breath. He had no idea being tickled was so exhausting. Shin-Ah gently patted the white haired man's shoulder, comforting him.

"Thank you, Shin-Ah. You truly are a kind soul," Kija could feel a tear streaming down his face. Then he remembered the game needed to continue.

"Zeno's turn!" Zeno announced. "Shin-Ah! Truth or dare?!"

"Dare," Shin-Ah replied in a low voice.

"Oh dear," Yun mused as he sprinkled some herb pieces into the broth.

Zeno's smile stretched so far, it almost seemed to hurt his cheeks. "Oooh! Here's a good one! I dare you to tell us all the funniest joke you can think of!"

"Really?" Yona raised an eyebrow as Ao munched on an acorn she found. "You're asking Shin-Ah to tell a joke? Hak and Jae-Ha are the jokesters around here," She pointed out.

"It's true," Hak piped in.

"Zeno wants to see if Shin-Ah has a sense of humor!" The blonde boy explained.

At first, Shin-Ah said nothing. Par for the course, as he was a man of very few words, even now. Most of what he said were single words or words compiled into fragmented sentences, not that the group considered it a bad thing. They respected his shyness and didn't press him to do or say things he didn't want to do or say. They couldn't even read his expressions, since Shin-Ah wore his signature mask all the time, never removing it under any circumstances.

Finally, he spoke, in a low but audible voice. "...what do you...call a dragon's tears...that freeze in the winter?"

This sentence rendered everyone flummoxed. "Dragon's tears…?" Yun asked.

"Freezing in the winter?" Jae-Ha asked. "Frozen dragon tears?"

"Nah, too simple," Zeno interjected.

"Okay, we're lost," Yona said. "What is it?"

The masked man took a brief moment to answer. "An...eye-sickle."

An awkward silence followed. They seemed to get the joke. Eye-sickle. Icicle. As soon as the pieces came together, pandemonium broke out. To be more specific, everyone exploded into fits of laughter, with Jae-Ha, Hak, and Zeno rolling on the dirt. Yona bent over, clutching her abdomen with her tiny hands. Even Yun and Kija couldn't suppress their laughter. Yun stepped away from the broth to make sure he didn't spill anything. Kija slammed his claw on the cave wall, but not so much as to break it or make it cave in on them.

"Oh Hiryuu! My ribs are killing me!" Jae-Ha bellowed, his fists and legs slamming against the ground beneath him.

Not even Hak could stop, and he usually kept a stoic face. "Best joke ever!"

It took a short while for everyone to calm down. As usual, Shin-Ah just stared at them with a blank look on his face. All of a sudden, his lips curled upward in a semicircle. Kija wiped another tear out from his eye, having calmed down. "Goodness, Shin-Ah...that's the funniest thing I've ever heard!"

Shin-Ah seemed to take pride in his praise. "Shin-Ah. Master of comedy," He looked Kija right in the eye as Yun went back to his cooking. "Truth? Dare?"

"Dare!" Kija answered quickly.

Instead of using words, Shin-Ah pointed to Kija with his index finger. Then he adjusted himself to point at Yona. Before long, he scooched over to his friend and wrapped his arms around the White Dragon, trapping him in a hug. Kija seemed to understand.

"You...want me to hug Yona?" He asked.

An affirmative nod was the answer he needed. Kija held his fist up, his eyes gleaming. "I shall grant your request!"

"A dare isn't exactly a request," Yona pointed out.

Upon hearing of Shin-Ah's dare, Kija marched over to his master's side. He could feel the death glare Hak was giving him. "You better not do anything skeevy to my princess, White Snake," He growled like a lion.

"Preposterous!" Kija argued. He and Hak were never exactly on great terms. Ninety percent of the time they spent together consisted of arguing or snarking at each other, much to the consternation of everyone else around them. "I would never do anything immoral to the princess! What kind of man do you take me for?!" How bold Hak was to imply that Kija would do anything immoral to his master.

"Now now, you two," Yona held her hands up. "Calm down."

Without hesitation, Kija wrapped his arms around Yona and pulled her close. Not so close that her face would be buried in his chest, and not so tight so as to render her unable to breathe. But her nose could catch the faint scent of wildflowers from his robe. Losing herself in the moment, she closed her eyes. Kija's arms, although draped in his thick white robes, were warm and tender, shielding her from the world around her.

"Awwww! How sweet!" Zeno crooned, amused by the sight of the two together.

Just as quickly, he let go. "Yun!" Kija swerved to look at Yun. "Truth or dare?!"

"Truth," Yun answered.

"Uhhh…" Kija found himself at a loss. What could he possibly ask Yun? The young boy's satchel caught his eye. That's it! That's what he could ask him. Kija smiled, happy he came up with a question to ask his young friend. "I don't know if I'm doing this right, but...if you can have anything in the world, what would it be?"

Immediately, Yun's blue eyes lit up. "Firstly, the first thing I'd do is buy every piece of cooking equipment on this entire planet!" He balled his hands into fists and looked up at the cave ceiling, ignoring the broth sitting before him. "Then I'd buy huge plots of land and grow every herb known to man and buy a big palace for all of us to live in-"

"Settle down, kid," Jae-Ha held his hand out.

"Don't call me a kid!" Yun let out a grunt before getting back to stirring the broth. "Truth or dare?!"

"Truth!" Jae-Ha answered.

"Awwww," Yun groaned. "I was hoping you'd say dare."

"I'm a very truthful person," Jae-Ha told him.

Hak shot him a death glare. "No you're not."

"No fights, please!" Kija pleaded. Yona let Ao sit on her lap, petting her as the squirrel slept soundly. Yun continued to stir the broth.

"Alright...Jae-Ha," Yun began. Everyone apprehensively stared at Yun with strong curious expressions, wondering just what he'd ask the green haired man. "Do you regret leaving your pirate friends?" All tension in the cave suddenly dissipated. They thought Yun would ask him something silly or personal. At least he didn't ask anything that would make him go on and on about girls all day.

"No. I don't," The green haired man pushed his bangs back. "Traveling with you has enlightened me some," He scooched closer to Yona. "I certainly feel fulfilled traveling with this adorable-"

He stopped mid-sentence as he felt Hak's boot drive itself into his shin. "Whoops. My leg slipped."

"...princess!" Jae-Ha choked. "Yona! Truth or dare?!"

Yona answered, "Truth!" Seeing the warm smile and flaming red hair made Jae-Ha's blood warm.

It wasn't hard for the green haired man to come up with a question to ask her. "What did you want to be when you were a child?" Hak exhaled a sigh of relief. Thank Hiryuu he didn't ask her something skeevy, immoral, or personal.

The first thought that popped into Yona's head was, _'Su-Won's bride!'_ But she shook her head, pushing the thought away. That dream was gone now. Nothing good would come of thinking about that man or the fantasy she had before her life changed. It was a thing in the past that needed to be locked away for all time. For now, anyway. After all, this was just a game. Who said she needed to be absolutely positively truthful? A little white lie wouldn't hurt.

"I…" Yona tittered. "I...wanted to be a queen!"

"Awww, confound it!" Yun's irritated voice suddenly broke the tension.

Yona turned to face Yun's direction. "What's wrong?"

The young boy scratched his hair with one hand. "I thought I had Kin-Shi herbs with me, but it turns out I don't have any!" He explained in a disgruntled manner. "I knew I should have bought some back in the last town! I even saw some on the way here, too!"

"Where can one get Kin-Shi herbs anyway?" Kija asked. "Surely they're common medicinal herbs, right?"

"I've seen them down the road a piece," Yun piped in, chopping some vegetables he bought. Namely carrots and celery.

Jae-Ha stood up, his legs stiff from sitting on the ground for so long. "I can go and get some," He suggested.

"But it's still raining out," Yona pointed out. It was true: the rain hadn't ceased since they arrived. The downpour wasn't as heavy, and the rain was reduced to a soft yet strong drizzle that could still soak one to the bone and make their clothes stick to their skin.

"It's lessened, and a little water won't hurt," Jae-Ha said. "But what do they look like again?"

Yun rummaged through his satchel, pulled out a small book, opened it, and showed it to the green haired man. Jae-Ha walked over, leaning close to get a good look. The coal illustration showed a plant with large, heart shaped leaves with M shaped roots. "Their leaves are very soft, and shaped like hearts. They're not hard to miss."

"Alright then!" Jae-Ha tapped his chest with his fist. "I'll see you all soon!" With that, he marched out of the cave and leaped away.

Oh well. There was no loss in not having Kin-Shi herbs. Yun had others he could use. After a while, the game was over and dinner was ready. Warm, vegetable soup with carrots, celery, and some slices of meat from some animals Yona and Hak had killed to sustain themselves. It was a good thing Yun was with the group. Otherwise, every one of them would have starved to death or came down with illnesses that could kill them had they not had access to hospitals or proper medicine.

In fact, the whole group seemed to emit a warm, calming atmosphere around them. The occasional argument or quarrel would erupt, yes, but nothing violent had ever come to pass. Yona found herself content, being surrounded by these colorful personalities that made the whole cave come alive. She had never felt this way before. At least, before she left the castle. If one were to tell her months ago that she would be traveling the kingdom with a harem of friends by her side, she would have called them lunatics.

Yet here she was, with her beloved friends. The sarcastic, snarky Hak, the mature and reliable, yet still in many ways childish Yun, the emotional, polite, devoted, bug-hating Kija, silent yet kind Shin-Ah and his gentle ways, flirtatious, coquettish and confident Jae-Ha, and cheerful, friendly, fun-loving Zeno. If not for these people and their kindness towards her, Yona was sure she wouldn't be alive today, and couldn't be happier with her company. Once again, little squirrel Ao munched happily on some acorns as she rested on Yona's lap. Before long, the squirrel was asleep.

It was Yun who noticed the prolonged absence of a certain someone. As the night pushed the rain away by draping her dark blue blanket across the sky, the rain finally ceased. Tiny stars dotted the velvety sky, with a pure white crescent moon watching over the world beneath her. The roar of rainwater had ceased long ago, but the ground outside was still wet, and the group couldn't afford to journey outside, not when it was so dark out. They needed their rest. But…

"Where's Jae-Ha?" Yun asked aloud.

Yona peeked out the cave entrance. She saw endless rows of trees and a rabbit scuttling across the dirt. But there was no sign of Jae-Ha anywhere. "I don't know," She replied. "He should have come back by now, shouldn't he?"

"I hope nothing bad has happened," Kija grew concerned. Shin-Ah nodded in agreement despite his silence.

Once Hak finished his meal, he gently put the bowl down, picked up his spear, and stood up. "I'll go take a look around. I'm sure that pretentious flirt is probably chasing a gaggle of girls somewhere," Hak told them, not easing up on the sarcasm one bit.

"But it's so dark out!" Zeno argued. "You do realize you're not immortal, right, Thunder Beast?" Contrasting to his normally cheerful demeanor, Zeno's expression suddenly turned stern. But Hak could see the worry in his solemn blue eyes. "What if someone were to attack you? With it being so dark-"

"I'll be fine," Hak protested, dredging his spear in the dirt. "I won't be out too long."

"Just be careful. Okay?" Yona advised. If there was one thing she feared most out of anything in the world, it was losing Hak, one of the only family she had. The only connection to her kingdom that she had. If anything were to happen to Hak, her faithful servant...she shook her head to push those terrible thoughts away. She'd never forgive herself should anything happen to him.

"I will. I'm not called the Thunder Beast for nothing," Hak turned on his shoe, proceeding to leave.

With the rain having ceased, anyone with hypersensitive hearing could hear the sounds of nature. It didn't take long for Hak to stop in his tracks, his ears catching the sound of fluttering wings. The wings of a sparrow came closer and closer. Finally, a very small bird, just about Ao's size, came fluttering at the cave entrance, descending before Hak, with its tiny beak full of a bouquet of Kin-Shi herbs. The sparrow had light brown plumage with some black and white streaks on its wings, with thin, black talons that seemed to melt into the wet soil, and a small yellow beak.

The sparrow dropped the Kin-Shi herbs and suddenly began fluttering about, flapping its wings frantically, but not flying. Hak stepped back a few steps, taken aback by this strange bird. The sparrow was twittering and chattering, but since it had no human voice, nobody could understand what it was saying. Birds couldn't speak like humans could, as they could only communicate through chirps and birdsongs.

"Whoa! What's with this bird?!" Hak exclaimed.

"Is it injured?" Yona asked.

"It sure doesn't look like it," Yun inched closer to the bird. Noticing the Kin-Shi herbs, Yun remembered. Jae-Ha had offered to bring back those herbs. The plants themselves had heart shaped leaves that were soft to the touch. Just like he told Jae-Ha. But this was a confusing situation. How did this bird manage to bring these herbs here? How could it have known they needed those herbs to begin with? He asked Jae-Ha to bring them, but as of now, he had not returned.

"Do you think something terrible happened to Jae-Ha after all?" The concern in Kija's voice was rising.

"I don't think that flirt would let anyone take him down easily," Hak pointed out. "Still, what's this bird's problem?"

"Maybe the Green Dragon turned into a bird!" Zeno suggested in a whimsical manner, his cheerful demeanor having returned.

Yun, Yona, and Kija sent glares at the Yellow Dragon. "This is no time for jokes, Zeno," Yona told him.

That was when it happened. The tiny sparrow fluttered in front of Yona, dredging its beak in the dirt. With all the effort its tiny body could muster, the bird traced its beak down the dirt. Soon, Yona couldn't hold back a gasp. The bird had written out the letter I, soon followed by the letters A and M. Everyone watched in awe as the bird demonstrated its dirt writing skills. Yes, the bird was using its beak to write a message. As far as they knew, birds didn't have that ability. Birds weren't literate.

What it wrote sent a shock through all of their systems.

 _I AM JAE-HA_

It seems Zeno's joke turned out to not be a joke after all.

Especially so when at that moment, the bird exploded into a cloud of purple smoke that seemed to cover the entire cave. Everyone coughed and used their arms to blow the smoke away. Just what was going on? When the cloud finally dissipated, their view was no longer obscured. Lying at the base of the entrance was Jae-Ha, back to normal, green hair, navy blue robes and all!

"Jae-Ha!" Yona and Kija scurried over to their fallen friend, coiling their arms around him to help him up. Drops of sweat beaded down the green haired man's face, dripping onto the soil beneath him. Once they got him up, they gently sat him against the wall. Yun was quick to offer him the broth he made, and Jae-Ha wasted no time sipping the warm, rich vegetable soup.

"What in the world happened to you?" Yun asked curiously. "You've been gone for a while."

"And how did you turn into a bird?!" Yona yelped. Seeing a human turn into a common sparrow, then back into a human, was such an alien thought to her, and everyone else for that matter. It just didn't seem possible, yet it happened right in front of them.

Once Jae-Ha's stomach was full, he opened his eyes, his thick eyelashes fluttering. "It's...a long story," He gasped. "You won't believe it."

Indeed, it was a long story. Jae-Ha leaped away from the cave to get Kin-Shi herbs like he offered, and had no trouble finding them along the road a piece. He had picked up at least four whole stems of them, thinking that would be enough to sustain them until they got to the next town. That was when he saw a beautiful young woman wandering about the road, lost and frightened. Being the woman chaser that he was, Jae-Ha offered her a helping hand, escorting her to the next town, which turned out to be just a mile from the cave.

The woman, introducing herself as Tai-Ling, thanked Jae-Ha for his kindness. But even Jae-Ha suspected that something about the woman was odd. She had a strange, ethereal quality about her, like she wasn't of this world. Her hair was deep purple like violets in spring, her eyes red like blood. She wore gold ermine robes, with cuffs adorning beautiful Valenciennes lace. Jae-Ha wanted to learn more about her. That was when things became very peculiar. Tai-Ling murmured some kind of strange incantation before pulling out some kind of black stick. A blue ray of light struck Jae-Ha before he could leap away, and before he knew it, he was a common sparrow, with the Kin-Shi herbs right in front of him. Tai-Ling had disappeared into town, leaving him behind.

Knowing he needed to tell his friends about this, Jae-Ha took the herbs in his tiny beak and flapped his way back toward the cave. It must be confessed that the herbs in his beak were too heavy for his tiny body, and flapping his wings took all the energy out of him. Flying was not something Jae-Ha was used to, nor could he have mastered easily. But somehow, he managed to get back to the cave, his mind plagued with thoughts about how this happened. Would his friends recognize him? If he told them what happened, would they believe him? Would they cast him out? He wasn't sure. But he knew one thing: that Tai-Ling woman was responsible for casting this spell on him, and he needed to find a way to break the spell, even if it meant he was on his own.

"...and that's what happened," Jae-Ha finished before sipping some water. The cold rush of water cooled down his dry throat, refreshing him from top to bottom, now that he was in a dormant state.

"My goodness!" Kija's hands flew to his face. "Sorcerers actually exist?! I had assumed they were naught but a myth! A child's legend!"

"...Sorcerer…?" Shin-Ah murmured in a low, confused voice. Yona could tell he didn't know what a sorcerer was.

"A sorcerer is someone who uses magic, cast spells, and acquire knowledge or wisdom through supernatural means," Yona explained. "A lot of my favorite stories I read as a child had sorcerers in them. A female version is a sorceress."

"But I thought they were a myth, too," Hak interjected.

"Zeno has seen sorcerers before," Zeno explained, folding his hands in place. "If priests who can hear the voice of God exist, then sorcerers do, too. There are good sorcerers, but the bad ones happen to be more famous, tragically," The whimsical cheerfulness was gone, and Zeno's voice seemed to hold a vast wisdom that only the old and wise seemed to possess through decades of living life.

"So, this Tai-Ling woman…" Yona interrupted. "You said she's in the next town a mile up, right?"

"Yes," Jae-Ha affirmed with a nod to empathize his point. "She may be dangerous."

"The rain's stopped now," Yun pointed out. "But since we're already settled in, let's rest here for the night and then we can go find this Tai-Ling woman and make her turn Jae-Ha back to normal."

"Agreed!" Zeno held his arm up. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Whatever happened to Jae-Ha, they needed to find this woman by any means necessary. Who knows what she could be doing to others?

Unbeknownst to them, a silhouette blending in the trees watched the group from afar. Her golden robes adorned with ermine fur and Valenciennes lace stood out amongst the dark, dank trees soaked by the hour's harsh rainfall. Her violet hair was tied into a large braid, and her red eyes examined the group as they prepared for sleep. They happened to fixate on Yona. To be more specific, her blazing red hair, the color of the blush of dawn. Seeing the red hair made the woman's blood boil on the inside. For a brief moment, an image of another woman with red hair flashed through her mind, hovering right over Yona.

The woman clenched her teeth. "I will make you pay…" She growled. "...for everything you've done to me!"

Yona and her friends had absolutely no idea what they were in for.

* * *

 **So...what do you guys think? Did I keep everyone in character? I don't know if sorcerers or magic users exist in the Akayona universe or not. For all I know, they probably don't, as I haven't read the manga enough to really get it. But I'm just writing this for fun, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. If there are details that I got wrong, please let me know (politely!) and I'll rectify them to the best of my ability! Look forward to future chapters!**


	2. The Spell

Chapter 2: The Spell

No one could believe what they saw. Jae-Ha had been turned into a bird. The story behind his odd transformation was even harder to believe. Sorcerers had long been believed to be a myth, even though evidence of their existence has been recorded throughout the millennium. But there were so few that the people of Kouka Kingdom began to think of them as myth or fantasies forged from children's tales. However, it was the only valid explanation they could think of for Jae-Ha's transformation. Jae-Ha himself said so, even though it was inevitable that they would question the existence of a sorceress. But there was no time to lose. They needed to free him from this spell, and fast.

When the dawn's morning light brightened the world, pulling it from its slumber, Jae-Ha had transformed back into a common sparrow. The sky above was a wondrous shade of blue, unmarred by clouds or birds or anything of the like. The shining orb of light that crowned the sky shined its light down on Earth, bathing it in warmth, turning oceans and lakes into pools of liquid amber. Since Jae-Ha was a bird now, he couldn't leap across great distances, as much as he wanted to. For now, he simply settled onto Yun's head, making it into a nest, much to the boy's consternation.

"Tell me you're not going to lay eggs in my hair," Yun told him with a twinge of sarcasm. Since Jae-Ha couldn't reply back, being a bird, Yun received no answer. But he could tell Jae-Ha wouldn't be capable of such a feat, since male birds cannot lay eggs. Silently, he thanked his lucky stars for that.

The nearest town was only a mile away, so it didn't take long for the group to get there first thing in the morning. Houses made entirely out of brick or stone lined the streets, standing tall and strong, even in harsh wind. People bustled to and fro, whether it was buying fruit from a fruit cart or children throwing a ball around on the streets. They even saw some droshkys being pulled by horses going right past them. Some women gathered around a man playing an erhu. Said instrument produced a high pitched, lofty melody that could send anyone to dreamland.

"So...do you see this sorceress anywhere?" Hak asked Jae-Ha.

Jae-Ha shook his tiny head left and right.

"He said she has purple hair, red eyes, and was dressed in gold robes," Yona remembered out loud. Golden robes are considered a luxurious commodity in the Kouka Kingdom, and only royalty could wear such raiment. A purple haired woman wearing golden robes would be extremely hard to miss. "Maybe we should ask around. Someone might have seen something," She suggested.

"I wouldn't recommend that," Yun interjected. "We could draw unwanted attention," That was always his concern whenever they went into any town. His friends stood out too much. Yona was a red haired princess, Hak a former general, Kija a silver haired man with a dragon claw draped in white robes, and Shin-Ah...was self-explanatory.

"But it's better than nothing, right?" Immediately, Zeno approached two women. "Hello! Have you seen a woman with purple hair wearing gold robes?"

"Zeno!" Everyone yelped in perfect unison, in low voices so as to not attract any attention. They couldn't believe it. Zeno just went right up and asked them. A bold move, indeed.

The two women exchanged glances before turning back to Zeno. "Sorry. We haven't seen such a woman."

"We're sorry we can't be of any help," With that, the duo scurried off.

Yun facepalmed. "Well...I don't see why we can't ask around after all, so let's just do it," He wagged his index finger to his friends like he was their mother. "But don't do anything that'll arouse suspicion! Got it?!"

"Yeees…" Everyone groaned. Being scolded by Yun was commonplace in this odd little group.

The group broke apart, spreading throughout town so as to gather information on the purple haired sorceress. Jae-Ha stayed on Yun's head the entire time. Hak and Kija stayed with Yona, and Zeno went off on his own. All morning, they wandered around town, asking everyone they saw if they had seen a purple haired woman wearing gold ermine robes. Most of the time, the answer was no, and all of their searches had come up fruitless. But they couldn't afford to give up. Whatever happened to Jae-Ha, this woman could be their only way of breaking the spell.

At one point, Kija passed by a small pub, where men and women gathered. One of the windows was wide open, curtains drawn, and one group of girls in particular were bending over their meals, engaging in odd gossip. Kija wasn't an eavesdropper, as he found it rude. Everyone who raised him told him so. But the subject of their gossip piqued his interest. He found himself edging closer to the side of the window, keeping himself out of their line of sight so as to not attract any attention. He kept staring at the scenery in front of him, never turning toward the window even an inch.

"I hear this sorceress named Tai-Ling has been wandering the premises."

"My! How scary!"

"I had no idea sorcerers existed."

"Trust me, it's true! My little sister saw her turn a man into a bird just last week!"

"How awful!"

"Why haven't any officers arrested her yet?"

"Who knows? I just hope she doesn't put curses on us!"

"Exactly how severe is the penalty for witchcraft?"

"I don't know. But I suggest you all be careful. They say she wanders about when travelers are by themselves. She feigns innocence, but when she lures you in, that's when she casts her spells."

"My children definitely aren't leaving the house for the next week!"

Tai-Ling. That was the name Jae-Ha told them. One of the women said she turned a man into a bird. So this sorceress did exist after all. Not only that, Jae-Ha being turned into a bird wasn't the first incident. Kija made a mental note to tell the others about it as soon as he ran back into them. He was sure they would find this information imperative in their search for this mysterious sorceress. But he wished he could at least sense her presence like he could for the other dragons. Alas, his dragon powers didn't work the way he wanted.

Yona and the others had no luck on their end either. "Excuse me!" Yona called out to some women before approaching them. "I was wondering if you've ever heard of or seen a purple haired woman named Tai-Ling?"

Once again, the two women exchanged unsure glances. "I'm afraid not. Sorry."

The group scattered and asked around for hours. Their legs burned and ached from spending so much time on their feet. When the sky began to turn orange, everyone reunited at the edge of town, slumping on some grass.

"What a pain!" Yun complained as he plopped down on a patch of grass behind an inn. "There's no sign of this Tai-Ling woman anywhere!"

Jae-Ha the bird chirruped a sad twitter, agreeing with Yun's sentiment.

"She has to be around here somewhere!" Kija exclaimed in his usual straightforward manner, his aquamarine eyes gleaming with determination. "We can't give up!"

"We don't intend to," Hak interrupted, gripping his large spear. "But for all we know, she might have skipped town. She could be anywhere."

"The green dragon's not going to stay like this forever, is he?" Zeno asked, his blue eyes despondent, all signs of cheerfulness and joy dissipating. He sat on a tree stump with his legs in a criss-cross pretzel shape.

All of a sudden, Jae-Ha began twittering in a high pitched sound. He kept flapping his wings and stomping on Yun's hair like he was throwing some kind of bird tantrum. "Hey! Quit it!" Yun yelled. Small talons dug into the skin on his hair, and the pain was enough to make him shout at the bird. "Your talons are scratching my scalp!"

Yona looked up at her masked friend. "Shin-Ah. Can you see if you can find her?" She asked kindly.

The masked man looked into the distance, losing himself in his concentration. His gold eyes could see farther than normal eyes could see. A flash of gold darted into some trees, with violet hair trailing behind. Everyone turned to face Shin-Ah with curious expressions. They knew that look on his face despite the mask obscuring their friend's face. Shin-Ah was seeing something, and they knew it.

"Do you see anything?" Kija asked.

"Golden robes…" Shin-Ah murmured in a barely audible voice. But he kept it audible enough for his comrades to hear it. "Violet hair...coming our way…"

"So you see her?!" Yona yelped, leaning closer, balling her thin hands into fists.

"Wonderful!" Kija clasped his hands together, his angelic face beaming. "If she's close by, then we might be able to free Jae-Ha from the spell!"

"I don't know," Yun interrupted, his voice adopting a dubious tone. At this point, Jae-Ha stopped fluttering on his head, so the bird's talons didn't scratch this scalp this time. "For all we know she could be an enemy. She might cast spells on us as well. Who's to say she might not be working for the Fire Tribe, or maybe she's one of Yona's pursuers?"

"There were no sorcerers working for my cousin," Yona piped in. She had been pursued before, and as far as she knew, there were no sorcerers among them. If there were sorcerers among her pursuers, she would have seen them cast a spell or something of that caliber. "I don't think Su-Won knows that sorcerers exist."

As the group found themselves locked into discussion, Hak kept himself out of the circle, gripping his spear like it was an extension of his own body. Being a former general, he had to always be on the lookout for anything that might strike. Years of guarding Yona had helped him adapt to figuring out if intruders or pursuers were on the prowl. So far, there was nothing. The tree leaves rustled in the gentle breeze, singing their lullabies for all the animals to hear.

Suddenly, the faintest crack of a twig made Hak's blue eyes shift toward a lone tree. Immediately, he pulled the cloth off from his spear, pointing it toward the tree like a proud warrior. The unveiling of his spear made everyone turn in his direction. Yona shivered. She could see the bloodlust in his eyes. Those eyes...they gleamed with intent to protect his princess. She had seen it all too often to mistake it for anything else.

"Hak…?" Yona asked. "What's...wrong?"

"Whoever's hiding, you better come out!" Hak barked, his already deep voice devolving into a harsh baritone, like that of a warrior who had known years of battle. "Don't think I'll go easy on you!"

It didn't take long for the figure to appear. She was like nothing they had ever seen. A woman with peach colored skin stepped before the Thunder Beast with a proud look on her face. Hair the color of soft violets cascaded down to her shoulders, with other strands tied into two braids merging into one. She donned a gold robe that went down to her ankles, with another layer consisting of lush ermine fur, with some black fur tufts sticking out. Her shirt cuffs were made of lace, with flower embroidery all over. She also wore plain brown peasant shoes. But her brown eyes were gleaming in the sunlight.

Purple hair. Golden robes. There was no doubt about it. This woman just had to be Tai-Ling, the sorceress who turned Jae-Ha into a bird. Even Jae-Ha himself knew it, as he began flapping his wings and chirping like crazy.

"My my. You're quite sharp," The woman complimented in a suave yet condescending voice, soft like a lily's innermost petals.

Hak gave her a scrutinizing look. But Kija suddenly bolted next to him. "You must be Tai-Ling!" He announced boldly. "Return our friend to normal at once, you knave!"

Cold shivers ran up and down both Yun, Yona, and Hak's spines, shocked by the white dragon's boldness. "Kija! You don't know what she might be capable of!" Yun hissed in a scolding manner. He found himself hoping the white dragon didn't push the woman's buttons in a way that would give birth to strife.

The woman eyed the bird on Yun's head, her maroon eyes gleaming. "Hmmm. So that green haired man is one of your comrades," Tai-Ling concluded, folding her hands together.

Green haired man. Hak readied his spear. "So you are the sorceress," The Thunder Beast held his spear up, making the tip face the woman. "Yun, Princess, go somewhere safe. The dragons and I can handle this."

Shin-Ah already had his sword out as he adopted a battle stance. Kija's dragon claw suddenly doubled in size. The bandages holding it together were ripped to shreds as they couldn't handle the sudden increase in size. All Zeno did was stand alongside them with his usual cheery smile plastered all over his face.

"Be careful!" Yona advised. As much as she wanted to fight alongside them, her fighting skills were still limited. She spent many days practicing archery, but close range fighting was outside of her skillset. Even so, she hoped Hak and the others would be safe. None of them knew what this woman could be capable of. The ugly hands called panic almost seized her, but she was determined to not let them take hold. With that, she and Yun hurried into some hedges nearby.

Tai-Ling eyed the red haired girl with scorn. "I see how it is. If you won't hand that girl over to me," She pulled out a thin black stick that didn't look to be anything special. But her maroon eyes adopted a bloodthirsty gleam, as did Kija's ocean blue eyes. "I'll have to take her by force!" She charged right at Hak and the dragons.

"We shan't allow that!" Kija made the first move, swiping his large dragon claw at the woman. But with every swipe, the woman gracefully dodged the attacks like she was an acrobat. She did backflips, spun around like a wooden top, ducked, and leaped into the air.

Soon after, Hak and Shin-Ah waved their swords in circular motions in perfect unison, generating dust clouds that could almost cover the entire area. Tai-Ling leaped into the air, descending with a kick. Hak was quick to see her coming, as he could hear her on the wind. Without hesitation, he held his spear up, holding off the woman's foot. Seeing her attempt to kick him from above reminded him of Jae-Ha. Tai-Ling jumped off right as Shin-Ah almost snuck up on her, with intent to smack her across the head with the side of his sword. Unfortunately for him, Tai-Ling saw this coming and dodged, doing a rolling kick as she slammed her foot into Shin-Ah's abdomen.

"Blue dragon!" Luckily, Zeno managed to hold up the writhing blue dragon warrior, keeping him from falling to the ground. Shin-Ah was breathless, and his abdomen throbbed with intense pain, like someone smacked him with a pile of bricks. Any attempt to breathe made his lungs burn.

"You dare hurt my brother?!" Kija's normally calm, ocean blue eyes suddenly blazed with the flames of rage. To think this woman had the audacity to lay even so much as a hand on sweet Shin-Ah. Such an act was unforgivable in his eyes. With an explosion of anger, Kija once again lurched at the woman with his dragon claw.

That was when something strange happened. With a smug smirk on her face, Tai-Ling waved the black stick in a circular motion. A purple light suddenly shot out from it, making contact with Kija's claw. All of a sudden, it shrank right back to its regular size, and Kija found himself tripping, falling right on his face, the soil dirtying his white and blue robes.

From within the hedges, Yona and Yun were both completely aghast. This woman managed to hold them all off with little effort. Yona clutched the arrows in her bag tightly, glaring at Tai-Ling. First she turned Jae-Ha into a bird, then hurt Shin-Ah, and now rendered Kija helpless. Just what did this woman intend to do? All she knew for sure was that she couldn't just sit around and watch as her friends got hurt. A small flame in her heart erupted into a fiery blaze as she readied her bow and arrow.

"She's unguarded in the back," Yun whispered. "Try leaving a scratch on her side. It'll restrict her movements."

Yona nodded in agreement right as Hak almost punched the woman in the face. Too bad she held him off and pushed him away. Finally, an opening. With a single uncurling of her fingers, Yona released the arrow from the bow, watching as it flew right past the woman in a perfect arc, making direct contact with her robes. The arrow's sharp tip managed to rip through the fabric and her skin, creating a fresh open wound.

It was enough to make Tai-Ling not notice a small cavity in the ground. One of her feet got caught in it, and as a result, she found herself losing her balance. With a yelp, she fell to the ground. Hak smiled, happy that something so simple could render this woman ripe for handing over to the police. Not wanting to let the chance slip, he marched right over to Tai-Ling and pointed his spear at her, the gleam in his eyes unwavering.

"White dragon!" Zeno took the chance to help Kija up, as did Shin-Ah.

"Are you...hurt?" Shin-Ah whispered, his small voice brimming with concern.

"I am fine. Thank you," Kija croaked, his face contorting from the pain of his hand shrinking so suddenly.. "But...my dragon claw…"

"We can do this quietly or we can make a spectacle. Your choice," Hak growled like a thunderous beast. "Now state your purpose. Why do you attack us?"

Oddly enough, Tai-Ling was smiling. Across her lips was a smug smirk, like she saw their weaknesses. Suddenly, she pulled out the black stick from before. Yona and Yun gasped before suddenly shouting, "LOOK OUT!"

But it was too late. A streak of purple light struck Hak. Once it made contact, Hak exploded in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, out came a blackbird. Yona's hands flew to her mouth. She couldn't believe what she saw. That woman really turned Hak into a bird, just like Jae-Ha! So the sorcery was real. Even so, Hak was transformed.

"Thunder Beast!" Zeno cried as he and Shin-Ah lurched forward to try and save him.

"No!" Kija held his dragon claw out to try and catch them, but they had run too fast for him to catch up. "You mustn't!"

Suddenly, two more streaks of light shot out from Tai-Ling's wand, hitting both Zeno and Shin-Ah. It came so fast, not even they could evade it. Both Shin-Ah and Zeno exploded into clouds of smoke. As the breeze pushed the smoke away, out came only a blue jay and a gold bird with an olive green upper body and a black spot on his chest, resembling a Bachman's Warbler.

"Hak! Shin-Ah! Zeno!" Unable to handle hiding anymore, Yona and Yun stormed out from the thicket. Yona glared at the guiltless woman with flaming eyes. "Why did you do that?!"

As soon as Yona's eyes met Tai-Ling's, the purple haired woman donned a ghastly scowl. It sent a strong shiver right down her spin, her gaze was so cold and icy, like there was nothing but a bottomless pit of hatred raging inside of them. She even stepped back a few steps.

"Just who are you anyway?!" Yun shouted. Yona turned to meet his eyes, wondering how he could have the courage to say anything to this woman.

"You know my name from all the frivolous gossip in this plebian town, so I don't need to spoon feed it to you," Tai-Ling mocked in a very venomous, condescending tone. The venom was so thick, if she were a snake, it would be dripping from her mouth. Both Yun and Yona could feel it. "Your red hair...reminds me of all that I hate!" Tai-Ling growled.

Kija finally found the strength to stand back on his feet, still clutching his numb dragon claw. Even he was at a loss for words. But all he could shout was, "Don't you dare harm the Princess!"

Tai-Ling chuckled. "You're lucky I actually have enough restraint to not resort to petty violence against you knaves," She mused, her voice thick with condescension.

"You are the knave, not us!" Kija protested, not liking having such a loathsome word being used to describe someone as regal, noble, and dignified as he.

' _Kija! You're not helping!'_ Yun found himself facepalming. Considering he knew about Kija's privileged upbringing, he wasn't surprised. But the outburst did nothing to ease the tension, nor change their friends back to normal. Tai-Ling's expression didn't change.

Suddenly, Jae-Ha fluttered from Yun's head, meeting up with Shin-Ah, Hak, and Zeno, flapping his wings and chirping. The others joined him as they made a chorus of chirps right in front of Tai-Ling. Everyone didn't need to understand bird language to get what they wanted. They wanted to be turned back to normal. Everyone could see that.

"Turn our friends back to normal!" Yona bellowed. "Why did you even turn them into birds anyway?!" She demanded. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

Tai-Ling spat at the ground. "People like you and your dragon dunderheads disgust me. Silly, airheaded, privileged rich people who flaunt their status and treat the poor around them like they're a plague to be eradicated," Suddenly, she pointed her wand at both Yun and Yona. They attempted to dodge by lurching to the left, but both streaks of light hit them. A hot feeling rushed through their throats, like they suddenly came down with a cold that made their throats dry.

But Yona's rage could not be contained. Privileged? Rich? Flaunting their status? Treating the poor like they're a plague to be eradicated? What made her think that? Clearly, this woman did not know what these people had gone through. Yona lost her family, her kingdom, her wealth, and sympathized with those who suffered the same, rich or poor. At this point, she was everything but privileged. All those months of living outside, scavenging and hunting for food, bathing in dirty ponds and rivers, and being covered in dirt, mud, grime, and other substances helped her survive, even when she had to subsist on nothing. Shin-Ah was treated like a pariah in his village. Zeno lived through two millennia and watched his friends and family die as they aged while he remained young. Yun grew up poor, having to steal just to be able to eat something, almost getting killed in the process. They were no different than she or the rest of her friends.

"I want to see you struggle," Tai-Ling crossed her arms. "I want to see you worms squirm like your life is on the line. If you really wish to turn your friends back, there is only one way you can do so," She explained.

"What might that be?" Yona hissed. Both Yun and Kija shot deathly glares at Tai-Ling. The purple haired woman barely noticed them, or if she did, wasn't perturbed in the least.

"Gather stinging nettle and use them to knit four scarves for your friends here," Tai-Ling elaborated. All the birds turned in her direction. "Knit them all by hand. If you can knit four scarves and put them on your friends by the next new moon, the spells will be broken. However," She glared at them, sending shivers down their spines. "You are not to speak of your task, nor complain, nor cry out in pain. Should you do so…" She turned to face the birds, her maroon eyes adopting a hateful sheen. "They will be immortalized and subjected to unending pain for eternity."

If she had said that King Hiryuu was secretly alive after all these two millennia, Yun, Yona, and Kija's eyes could not have gotten any bigger, and their mouths couldn't fall any farther. The callousness that Tai-Ling was displaying was too unbelievable to imagine. If they could not knit four scarves by the next new moon, her friends will be immortal and suffer an eternity of unending physical pain. They weren't sure if this woman was merely telling falsehoods, simply trying to scare them, or blackmailing them to do her bidding. But at this point, they couldn't take the risk.

"You care about your friends, don't you?" Tai-Ling hissed like a snake. "Don't you want to turn them back to normal?"

Yona balled her hands into fists, her fingernails digging so deep into her palms that she left red crescents. At this point, she had no other choice. "I will."

"Good," Tai-Ling chuckled. "It'll give me great pleasure to see you fail," With that, she suddenly ran from the scene. Everyone was too shocked by the whole thing to even think about going after her, as much as they wanted to.

* * *

Not wanting to cause trouble in town, the trio of humans and their newly transformed avine friends traversed back into the forest, into the cave where they slept last night. Yona, Kija, and Yun all sat in a triangular pattern, with the four birds-Blackbird Hak, blue jay Shin-Ah, common sparrow Jae-Ha, and yellow warbler Zeno-all huddled in the very center. The humans crossed their arms, lost in their rumination. Sorcery was real. Sorcerers were real. If they didn't make scarves out of stinging nettle, their friends would suffer an eternity of unending pain. As of now, they couldn't risk seeing if the woman was just telling falsehoods. What if she was right? What if they complained and the birds would collapse into heaps, screaming and jerking and writhing in ways that not even Yun could help alleviate?

No. She had to get them back to normal. There was no other way around this.

"Yun. What does nettle look like?" Yona asked in a low whisper.

"Hold on. I'll check," Yun rummaged through his bag, pushing through old medicine books he had collected throughout the years. He pulled one out and skimmed through the yellow, worn out pages. "Ah! Here it is," He pointed to an illustration of a plant that had very tiny spikes for leaves, but the tips were sharp, and they looked as though they could leave marks on even the strongest of fingers.

Urtica dioica, or common nettle as the page in the book explained, have hollow stinging hair called trichromes on the leaves and stems. They act like hypodermic needles, injecting chemicals such as histamine to produce a stinging sensation when contracted by animals and humans. Yun didn't even bother to look at its medicinal and herbal properties, as that wasn't the issue right now.

Once again, Kija's mouth fell open. Immediately, the urge to ask, "She wants us to make scarves out of _these_? Why didn't she say to make them out of something painless? The Princess's hands could easily be injured by such plants!" seized him. Thankfully, he steeled himself from speaking. One complaint, and his avine friends would suffer forever. His proud dragon heart couldn't bear to accidentally make his friends suffer for eternity.

"Do you know where they grow?" Yona asked again.

"I've seen a few of them around here," Yun explained. "Let's gather some first thing in the morning."

Yona stood up. "No. Let's do it now. I don't want to waste any time," She clenched her teeth to keep herself from going into a rage. No one could understand how difficult it was for her to even steel herself from screaming and crying, and she had done plenty of them before.

All of a sudden, both Yun and Kija stood up in alarm, but they kept their voices low and calm. "Yona. This won't be an easy task, even for us," Yun explained, making an effort to keep his voice and tone composed and collected. "I've never knitted stinging nettle before, and Kija doesn't know how to knit. I'm sure you've never knitted before, either," Yun reasoned. "We can't afford to mess up. We need to be careful."

"Yun is right, Princess," Kija agreed, nodding once Yun finished. "I will not allow your hands to be sullied with the stain of blood. Let us do it for you. You needn't make yourself suffer."

"No," Yona repeated firmly, balling her fists once more. Yun and Kija fell silent. They could hear the determination in Yona's voice as if it had taken on a sentient form. "I want to do this. For them. For you," She continued. "I won't let you or anyone else suffer. If something happens to you because of me...I would never be able to...forgive myself…" How she managed to steel herself from crying, Yun and Kija didn't know, but they were sure it wasn't easy.

The awful memory flashed through Yona's mind. Her beloved father falling to the ground, a sword going through his body, drowning in a pool of blood. Her beloved cousin, his apricot colored hair dangling past his shoulders, looking down at him with a cold, icy stare, his clothes and face sullied with blood. Yona herself sitting on her knees, frozen with fear, denial, and unadulterated horror at the awful scene before her and the unworldly revelation slapping her across the face, unable to do anything to save her father. Her attendant Min-Soo being knocked down by flying arrows and spears, pinning him to the ground, his last breath breathed for Yona and Hak to escape the castle.

She couldn't let her friends suffer an eternity of pain. No more being helpless. She had promised herself that she would live and survive in this world as penance for being ignorant of the world's suffering and for not being able to save the one she loved. To sit back and let Yun and Kija do everything...as much as she appreciated their kindness and willingness to help her despite not knowing her for very long, to sit back and do nothing would go against everything she stood for.

"Nothing you say or do will change my mind," Yona told them firmly.

Yun and Kija smiled. "We figured as much," Yun said. He didn't dare say this would be a pain, as any utterance of a complaint would spell dire consequences. "But don't think we're going to sit back and let you take on this burden alone."

"Yes, Princess," Kija held his dragon claw to his heart, affirming his devotion to his princess. "Your burden is our burden."

A warm smile touched the red haired woman's face, her heart touched by their unwavering compassion. "Thank you both. I don't know where I'd be...without any of you."

Before long, Kija's face turned red like a freshly ripened tomato. "Oh, no! You flatter me so, Princess!" Kija stammered, holding both hands to his head like he saw a ghost. "It is I who would be nothing without you!"

Yun rolled his eyes. "Yeah, really."

With that, the two of them scattered throughout the forest, gathering any nettles they could find. Like Yun said, the minute Yona attempted to pick one up, the trichromes punctured her fingers, leaving significant holes on them. As soon as she looked at her hands, she was already seeing fresh blood trickling down the tips of her fingers. She was able to steel herself from crying out, and continued to yank any nettles she could find from the soil. She threw them all in a basket that Yun wove, hoping it would be enough to make scarves out of. But she had never heard of anyone making scarves out of nettle before. How was this to be done? At this point, there was no time for worrying, and continuing to do so wouldn't change them back to normal.

Once the trio gathered back at the cave, much to their surprise, Shin-Ah, Zeno, Hak, and Jae-Ha were back to being human! But like Jae-Ha said, they could only return to human form at night. "Are you okay, Miss?" Zeno asked, noticing Yona's red fingers. "They look as though they must be painful."

"We can help gather those pesky nettles," Hak suggested.

"I'd do so myself, but nettles leave such blemishes on my skin," Jae-Ha mused. Hak shot a deathly glare at him, making the green haired man eat his words.

"I appreciate it," Yona told them. "But we agreed to do this for your sake. We'll get you turned back to normal," She assured them despite the pain in her hands.

"But Zeno does raise a point," Yun pulled some gauze out of his bag. "We'd better cover those wounds," He started with Yona, then Kija, and finally himself.

The process was difficult. According to one of Yun's books, one had to strip the leaves from the nettle and separate them from the stems. After that, they had to stomp on both the leaves and the nettle until they could be thin enough to be stripped down into yarn. Since stomping on them was the easiest of the tasks, Yona, Kija, Shin-Ah, and Jae-Ha helped with that as Yun proceeded to make dinner for everyone. No one said a word, as the atmosphere around them was too tense for casual conversation. Considering how dire the situation was, they could understand Yona not wanting to waste any time.

As strange as it sounds, Yona found stomping on those leaves and stems to be quite liberating. The anger in her heart still simmered, the anger at herself for being unable to help her friends, and stomping on those leaves proved to be a good way to release that anger and pain. At least until she could speak of the task and cry over it when all of this would end. Night fell on the Kingdom of Kouka, and eventually, after dinner, the ragtag group found themselves too tired to continue. Once all the nettle was grounded, everyone found themselves asleep, wrapped up in the darkness of the night, their bodies weary from all the walking they had to do.

Yona in particular was lost in dreamland. But soon, she would find herself stepping onto a road that would lead into a nightmare.

(dream)

 _Yona woke up in an unfamiliar place. No longer was she in the cave with all of her friends. Instead, she stood up to find herself in a pitch black abyss. Nothing behind her, nothing in front, beneath, above, or around her. Everything was entirely pitch black, like the darkest shadows. None of her friends were in sight. Her chest tightened._

" _Hak? Yun?" She called out in a wavering voice. No response. "Kija? Shin-Ah? Zeno?" Once again, there was no answer, only her voice echoing in the endless darkness. "Jae-Ha?" She whimpered, her voice lowering this time around._

 _Not a single one of them was present. Where could they have gone? Where were they? A torrent of worry began to wash over the red haired woman. Already, she found herself reverting back to the helpless girl she once was, right as her cousin killed her father. Tears sprung forth, with a few trickling down her cheeks, dripping off of her chin._

" _I'm scared...where is everyone?" She whimpered once more. Her hands felt as though they were being jabbed by a thousand needles. It hurt. It hurt so much. Where was it coming from? Finally, she suddenly let out a yelp like someone snuck up on her._

 _Just then, a primal, piercing scream echoed in the far reaches of the abyss. It echoed so strongly that Yona's eardrums felt as though they were being split in half. Her throbbing hands flew to her ears, barely managing to muffle the terrible noise. "What is that?!" She shouted. But her heart already knew the answer to that. She raced deeper into the abyss._

 _Soon, white silhouettes came into view. One of them had a dragon claw. Another had a mask with a large heap of fur on it. Another clung to a large spear. The fogginess faded away, revealing every single one of her friends. Hak, Yun, Kija, Shin-Ah, Zeno, and Jae-Ha. In human form._

 _All of them were lying on the floor._

 _All of them were screaming like they were being bloodily murdered._

 _All of them were shaking violently, the veins in their necks close to exploding._

 _Yona froze. The horror of this whole scene was enough to render her entirely speechless. Was this what Tai-Ling said would happen to them should she complain or cry out during her task? Then it hit her: she had done both just seconds ago. She fell to her knees, her legs having turned limp, unable to hold her up anymore. Finally, a silhouette of Tai-Ling materialized before her, smirking at her like she had expected this outcome from the very beginning._

" _See what you've done, you red haired monster?" Tai-Ling didn't mince any words, nor had she any sympathy or pity for the now helpless Yona. "Your very existence causes them unending pain and suffering! You should be ashamed of yourself! If you had any kindness in your heart…" Tai-Ling tapped her palm with the wand like it was a cigarette holder she cherished with her whole heart. Like before, her voice was thick with venom, combined with hatred and bitterness. "You would end their pain by killing yourself! The world would be better off without you!"_

" _NOOOOOO!" Yona screamed into the abyss. Finally, a white light flashed, illuminating the entire abyss. Soon, everything disappeared into the light._

(end dream)

Normally, when one would have a nightmare, they would cry out, sit up in alarm, and gasp for air as sweat beaded their faces. Not so for Yona, who simply opened her eyes and sat up as she normally did when she would awake from slumber. The radiant white sun illuminated the entirety of Kouka Kingdom, bathing everything in a marvelous light. Such a wonderful sight for many, but at this point, Yona couldn't bring herself to admire such beauty, even when she used to take it for granted before.

She looked to her right. Yun and Kija slept next to her, covered in blankets, with Hak, Shin-Ah, Zeno, and Jae-Ha reverted back to being birds. Blackbird Hak, blue jay Shin-Ah, yellow warbler Zeno, and brown sparrow Jae-Ha. So Tai-Ling and sorcery wasn't a dream. It was real, just like she suspected. The nightmare might have been real. So far, none of them were screaming or writhing in pain, so that was a start. But...even the memory of that awful nightmare was enough to make Yona's whole body shake. If she couldn't help her friends, how could she possibly live with herself?

"P'kyuuu?" Little Ao curled up on Yona's lap, nuzzling against her bandaged hand. Animals had a strange ability to sense the feelings and emotions of others. How this was possible, no one knew, not even humans knew how animals could be so intuitive. Even so, that didn't make Yona any less touched by the squirrel's kind gesture. Tears sprung forth, and Yona silently stroke the squirrel's fur with one finger.

"Thank you, Ao…" Yona whispered so quietly, she wasn't sure if anyone could hear her. For that matter, not even she might have heard it. At least Ao was here, unaffected by Tai-Ling and her sorcery.

Yona looked over at the nettle she stomped on. That's right. If she and the others could knit them into four scarves by the next new moon, the spell would break, and her friends would no longer be transformed into birds. But Yona was no expert on knitting or sewing. She had seen her handmaids do it before, as she had been forced to watch in longer to learn the etiquette of being a proper lady. But she had found it such a bore, she couldn't understand how anyone could tolerate spinning a needle through a thread for hours, let alone take happiness and pleasure from it. To the old Yona, knitting was something she could never do. Months of pricking her fingers with needles and complaining at the tedious task confirmed that she had no patience for knitting anything at all.

But now, this was not something she could just ignore. There was absolutely no denying it: her friends' lives depended on knitting those nettle into scarves. Silently, she made a mental note to ask Yun to show her how to knit. Perhaps this was finally time for Yona to get started on it. Whether she was good at it or not didn't matter. She needed to do this and muster up the patience to deal with it. There was no room for complaining or crying.

As the morning sun shined down on the Kouka Kingdom with its light, Yona's resolve blazed like a red hot fire.

* * *

 **Yeah...I would have updated a lot earlier had my computer not gone on the fritz. I couldn't access any of my documents, so I wasn't able to work on any of my stories much. But now it's fixed and I can actually work on stuff now! Yay! But even so...I'm not really too fond of how this chapter came out. I feel like I could have gotten so much more out of it, but lack of inspiration made it like this, and I think it looks and feels...bland. Uninspired. *sigh* Oh well. Four more chapters to go and the story will be finished, so hopefully those will come out somewhat better. I do have an idea of how those will go, and I planned everything out, so unless I don't have any motivation or inspiration, or real life chooses to yank me by the collar, I shouldn't have difficulty churning those out when I feel the need to do so.**

 **Anyway, Happy early Easter for those who celebrate it!**


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